MONTREAL — When it launched on July 1, 2013 Air Canada Rouge had five flights and 775 customers. Three years later, on July 1, 2016 Air Canada Rouge will fly 123 flights carrying more than 23,000 customers, said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

“Air Canada Rouge was first introduced as a leisure carrier in 2013 to serve Mexico, the Caribbean and select destinations in Europe,” said Smith. “With investments in our fleet, network and product, as well as our unique approach to onboard service, Air Canada Rouge has grown to play a key role within Air Canada.”

Air Canada Rouge has surpassed the company’s expectations and has become integral to its international growth strategy, he added.

From a fleet of two A319s and two B767-300ERs in July 2013 the airline has grown to 44 aircraft including 20 A319s, 19 B767-300ER aircraft and five A321s.

In the past two months Air Canada Rouge has begun offering service on seven new international routes including service from Toronto to Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, London-Gatwick, and Glasgow; Vancouver to Dublin; and Montreal to Casablanca. The service to the Moroccan capital is Air Canada’s first regularly scheduled flight to Africa and extends Air Canada’s global network to six continents.